Forever and Always
by Berrystripe
Summary: A mixed-blood tom named Riverkit's destiny unwinds before him. You're destined to be leader, StarClan tells him. At the same time, however, a Dark Forest cat tugs at him, makes him join her, in excange for the protection of his family forever ands always. All OCs. Rated T for some violence.
1. ALLEGIANCES

**ALLEGIANCES **

WindClan

_Leader_

Mallowstar - Grey blue shecat with a stub tail, and a strikingly pink nose.

_Deputy_

Brambleflight - Long legged dark red tabby tom.

_Medicine cat_

Dewpelt - Dappled grey shecat with bright blue eyes.

(mentor to Crowpaw)

_Warriors_

Berrystripe - White tabby shecat with bright blue eyes.

Stickpelt - Orange white and black tom. Apprentice, Brownpaw.

Softbreeze - Long pelted brown tabby shecat.

Forestbird - Big black tom with bright green eyes. Apprentice, Bluepaw.

Blacktail - Pale grey tom with a black tail tip.

Haretail - Light brown shecat.

Brackenberry - Light brown tom with green eyes.

Greycloud - Dark grey tabby shecat. Apprentice, Tinypaw.

Mouseclaw - Big brown tabby with long claws.

Gorseclaw - Grey tom with a matted pelt.

Sunpelt - Cream tom.

Lionpelt - Cream yellow shecat.

Rabbitfur - Dark brown tom. Apprentice, Leopardpaw.

_Apprentices_

Crowpaw - Black tom.

Tinypaw - Very small red shecat.

Leopardpaw - Dappled cream tom with bright green eyes.

Brownpaw - Brown tabby shecat.

Bluepaw - Blue-grey tom.

_Queens_

Snowfeather - White and grey tabby shecat. (mother to Whitekit and Cloudkit)

_Elders_

Cloverpelt - Light brown shecat.

Maplepelt - Deep red shecat with green eyes.

Yellowclaw - Cream yellow tom.

ThunderClan

_Leader_

Leafstar - Brown tom.

_Deputy_

Sparrowheart - Brown tabby shecat with striking green eyes.

_Medicine cat_

Cherryheart - Red shecat with amber eyes.

_Warriors_

Otterpelt - Brown tom.

Dappledleaf - Brown dappled shecat.

RiverClan

_Leader_

Reedstar - Brown tabby tom.

_Deputy_

Minnowtail - Dark grey shecat.

_Medicine cat_

Featherpelt - Long furred pale grey tabby tom. (mentor to Lillypaw - Ginger tabby shecat)

_Warriors_

Windheart - Grey tabby tom.

Greypelt - Grey tabby shecat.

Moonclaw - Grey tom.

Roseheart - Light brown shecat.

_Queens_

Hollyeyes - Black shecat with bright green eyes.

ShadowClan

_Leader_

Pinestar - Dark grey tom with green eyes.

_Deputy_

Rowanfur - Red brown tom with long fur.

_Medicine cat_

Blackpelt - Black shecat.

_Warriors_

Ceadarfoot - Red tom.

Barkfur - Brown tabby tom.

Mudfang - Brown tom with long teeth.


	2. PROLOUGE

"He's half RiverClan! A WindClan cat with a RiverClan father can't be the leader." a cat snarled out. "Hush, Heatherstar. His bloodlines have nothing to do with it. He is going to be the leader of WindClan, and that is that," a large brown tabby tom said, bristling. Heatherstar blinked with shock, then nodded. "Crookedstar, what if he's not loyal enough to be leader?" a silver shecat asked. "Are you calling out kin unloyal to their clan, Willowbreeze?" Crookedstar yowled at her. "Of course not, Crookedstar. Silverstream was loyal, Stormfur is loyal, and now that he has brought his kits to live with the Clans, we have Windheart and Greypelt whom are also loyal. I'm saying what if Riverkit isn't loyal?" Willowbreeze screamed. "Don't fight!" Heatherstar said.

"Riverkit will be a fine warrior, and a loyal-" She looked at Willowbreeze "-leader. You two need to stop being such bird-brains and see that!" She yowled.

Crookedstar nodded. "Thank you Heatherstar," he said to her. Once Heatherstar and Willowbreeze left him, Crookedstar looked down at Windheart. "I hope your kit is a great leader, Windheart..." he mumbled under his breath, no longer believing in Riverkit himself. Crookedstar padded over to a large rock and yowled "Riverstar will be the next leader of WindClan!"


	3. CHAPTER ONE

A small, rippling pool reflected the shimmer of the blazing Newleaf stars. Leafbare had just ended three moons ago, and it had started to warm back up already. Windheart sat in front of the small pool, lapping at it with his tongue. He looked around the territory, and didn't see any other cats around him. He stood up and looked back at his home, the RiverClan camp, and sighed. His clan clan mates cared for him, but he cared for other cats. He started padding towards the WindClan border. One last look at his camp and he was gone. He could smell the rabbit jumping around on the moor. Windheart found a patch of mud and rolled around in it to hide his RiverClan scent. He looked to see if there were any cats out. When he didn't see any, he crossed over and started heading towards the moor. Windheart wasn't a very fast runner, but he wanted to try to catch a rabbit. He spotted one and started sprinting towards it. It was an old rabbit, and the RiverClan cat caught it with ease. With one bite to the neck, he had the fresh kill.

"What, is RiverClan out of prey?" a cat yowled at him from then top of the hill, the half moon behind her making her no more than a black silhouette.

Windheart jerked his head around, dropping his rabbit. "I'm so sorry! I-I'm just supposed to me meeting someone... Uhh... No... Reedstar sent me! Ummm-" he stopped when he heard the cat laughing. "It's just me." The cat came down from the hill and smiled at him. "Berrystripe?" His eyes widened. Berrystripe nodded her head and laughed. "Never do that to me again!" Windheart playfully ran into her and pushed her into the grass, not expecting her to topple over so easily and for him to fall with her. They laid laughing at each other in the grass. It was his first meeting with her. He had met her at a gathering half a moon ago, and they decided they wanted to see each other again. When the laughter died down, Berrystripe looked at Windheart. "Why are you covered in mud?" she asked chuckling at the brown goo drying on to his sleek RiverClan pelt. "To hide my smelly RiverClan scent, of course!" he mewed, laughing with her now. "I caught a rabbit for you," he said, smiling with pride. "Would you like to share it?" he hopped up onto all fours looking down at her. "Of course!" The two padded over to where he had dropped the fresh kill. Berrystripe picked it up in her jaws and started walking back to where they were. When she put it down, her eyes widened and her jaw dropped. She screamed "Windheart, hurry!" He ran over to her side to see what was going on. Maggots were all over the rabbit he caught, in a sort of twisting line. "It almost looks like a river..." Berrystripe stated. "Maybe it's some sort of omen. Bring it back to Dewpelt. Maybe she would know," Windheart replied. Berrystripe nodded. He looked up at the sky. It was nearly dawn already. "I have to go, Berrystripe. Until the next half moon?" Berrystripe nodded in agreement. "Ok. I'll see you in five days, Berrystripe. Goodnight." He padded off, smiling, wondering what a omen about a river could mean.


	4. CHAPTER TWO

Berrystripe padded home with the dead rabbit clamped in her jaws. Once she got back to camp, she walked into Dewpelt's den. She was sound asleep. Berrystripe didn't want to wake her up, she she sat the rabbit down in her den. She began to walk to her den to get a good nights rest, when she heard Dewpelt call her. "Wait, Berrystripe!" She ran back to her den, confused there was no fear of the maggots in her mew. /She's a medicine cat, she must be used to omens now./ she thought to herself. "Why did you leave me this rabbit?" Berrystripe looked down, wondering why Dewpelt didn't see the maggots crawling in it's flesh. It was because there was none there. "I guess I need to flip it over..." she mumbled under her breath. To her surprise, there was no maggots on the other side, either. "No... This isn't right. Dewpelt, there were magg-" Berrystripe was cut off when she heard a whisper in her ear. "Nobody else must know, Berrystripe..." She turned around, screaming. Dewpelt groaned. "First you wake me up, then you scream at me?" Berrystripe snarled at her. "I wasn't screaming at you, you bird brain. I was screaming at-"

"Nobody can know..."

"-nothing. I was screaming at nothing." Dewpelt shook her head in confusion. "Alright... Hey, why don't you eat a couple poppy seeds. They'll help you go to sleep quicker." Berrystripe nodded her head. Dewpelt padded off to get some poppy seeds. She came back walking on three paws. "Here, lick them up then go to your nest and sleep." Berrystripe licked up the poppy seeds and padded across the camp. She heard Dewpelt mumble to herself. "Well, that was weird..." Berrystripe climbed into her nest, closed her eyes, and fell asleep.


	5. CHAPTER THREE

It had been three days since Berrystripe's meeting with Windheart. Haretail's head was right above Berrystripe when she woke. She had missed the dawn patrol! Sighing, she guessed Haretail had been on it, from the strong scent of rabbit and moorland and the fact she was wobbling above Berrystripe cause her legs ached from chasing rabbits. "Congratulations!" Berrystripe looked around, confused. "On what?" Haretail sighed and rolled her eyes. "I'm your best friend, you don't have to hide things from me. I know you're a queen now!" Berrystripe's eyes widened in shock. /They must be Windheart's!/ she thought. "No no no... This can't happen to me, not yet! I jut met-" she stopped herself, realizing she couldn't tell Haretail about Windheart. She had to think of something. Moonclaw! Moonclaw mooned over Berrystripe. She could trust him. She looked around the camp, searching for him. She found him sharing tongues with Softbreeze. She darted up to him. "Moonclaw, we need to talk..." She looked over at Haretail, who was smiling. She must think Moonclaw was her mate. /No! There is no way my mate is Moonclaw!/ she thought to herself. She stomped her way out of camp, Moonclaw following. She didn't want anyone else to hear this conversation. "What is it, Berrystripe? I was talking to Softbreeze!" She growled at him and looked down. His gaze followed hers. "You're a mother, Berrystripe?" His eyes widened. "Congratulations! Who's are they?" he smiled at her. "Moonclaw, there's something I did... That I'm not supposed to do. Can I trust you?" Moonclaw hesitated, then nodded. "I met up with a RiverClan warrior I met at the last gathering. His name is Windheart, and they are his kits." She was flooded with shame as she explained it all to Moonclaw. "Are you mad at me?" she asked, scared he would go tell the Clan she had a RiverClan mate. "Of course I'm not," he replied. She felt relief flood over her as he said that. "You know what I'm going to let you do, Berrystripe? If anyone asks, you can say their our kits. Alright?" She was hoping he would say that, but she thought it would sound crazy if she asked herself. "Thank you. Thank you so much Moonclaw, you're a great friend." She touched her nose to his cheek and ran back to camp, Moonclaw following. She went back over to Haretail, knowing already what she was going to say. Haretail jumped up and down like a kit. Then again, Berrystripe and and her had only been made warriors a few moons ago. "So, are they Moonclaw's?" Haretail said, brimming with excitement. Berrystripe couldn't help but to smile with her friend. "Yes, they're Moonclaw's" Haretail squealed with excitement. "You'll be such a great mother, Berrystripe!" Berrystripe smiled, glad she has Haretail to push her on. "Thank you, Haretail. Now then, I'm going to go hunting. Would you like to come -" Haretail interrupted her. "No! You have to go to the nursery! Here, I'll bring you now!" Haretail was acting jumpier than usual. "Well, come on!" Berrystripe, rooted to the spot confused why Haretail was acting like this, didn't move. "Alright, I'll just have push you then!" Haretail leaned her head down and used it to push Berrystripe into the nursery. She saw Snowfeather in there, with her two kits Cloudkit and Whitekit. "What's going on?" Snowfeather asked. Haretail popped her head into the den. "Berrystripe is having Moonclaw's kits!" Snowfeather looked at Berrystripe. "Moonclaw's? Is this true, Berrystripe?" Berrystripe closed her eyes, and nodded, feeling terrible for lying to all her clan mates. "Well, I have a nest in here that I was planning on giving to Whitekit and Cloudkit cause they're just growing so fast, but you can have it if you like." Berrystripe nodded. "Thank you, Snowfeather." Whitekit and Cloudkit jumped up and down. "We'll have kits to play with soon!" Whitekit said. They seemed excited to have new den mates. Berrystripe curled up in the nest, and fell asleep soon after. She hoped she would wake up in her warriors nest, find that this was all a dream, but she knew this was real, and she was really having kits.


End file.
